We determined the values of Ka for a wide range of host-guest complexes of cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n]), where n = 6-8, using 1H NMR competition experiments referenced to absolute binding constants measured by UV/vis titration. We find that the larger homologues--CB[7] and CB[8]--individually maintain the size, shape, and functional group selectivity that typifies the recognition behavior of CB[6]. The cavity of CB[7] is found to effectively host trimethylsilyl groups. Remarkably, the values of Ka for the interaction of CB[7] with adamantane derivatives 22-24 exceeds 10(12) M(-1)! The high levels of selectivity observed for each CB[n] individually is also observed for the CB[n] family collectively. That is, the selectivities of CB[6], CB[7], and CB[8] toward a common guest can be remarkably large. For example, guests 1, 3, and 11 prefer CB[8] relative to CB[7] by factors greater than 10(7), 10(6), and 3000, respectively. Conversely, guests 23 and 24 prefer CB[7] relative to CB[8] by factors greater than 5100 and 990, respectively. The high levels of selectivity observed individually and collectively for the CB[n] family renders them prime components for the preparation of functional biomimetic self-sorting systems.

Host⋅guest complexes between cucurbit[7] (CB[7]) or CB[8] and diamantane diammonium ion guests 3 or 6 were studied by (1) H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. (1) H NMR competition experiments revealed that CB[7]⋅6 is among the tightest monovalent non-covalent complexes ever reported in water with Ka =7.2×10(17)  M(-1) in pure D2 O and 1.9×10(15)  M(-1) in D2 O buffered with NaO2 CCD3 (50 mM). The crystal structure of CB[7]⋅6 allowed us to identify some of the structural features responsible for the ultratight binding, including the distance between the NMe3 (+) groups of 6 (7.78 Å), which allows it to establish 14 optimal ion-dipole interactions with CB[7], the complementarity of the convex van der Waals surface contours of 6 with the corresponding concave surfaces of CB[7], desolvation of the CO portals within the CB[7]⋅6 complex, and the co-linearity of the C7  axis of CB[7] with the N(+) ⋅⋅⋅N(+) line in 6. This work further blurs the lines of distinction between natural and synthetic receptors.

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Aliovalent rare earth substitution into the alkaline earth site of CaFe2As2 single-crystals is used to fine-tune structural, magnetic and electronic properties of this iron-based superconducting system. Neutron and single crystal x-ray scattering experiments indicate that an isostructural collapse of the tetragonal unit cell can be controllably induced at ambient pressures by choice of substituent ion size. This instability is driven by the interlayer As-As anion separation, resulting in an unprecedented thermal expansion coefficient of 180 × 10 −6 K −1 . Electrical transport and magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal abrupt changes in the physical properties through the collapse as a function of temperature, including a reconstruction of the electronic structure. Superconductivity with onset transition temperatures as high as 47 K is stabilized by the suppression of antiferromagnetic order via chemical pressure, electron doping or a combination of both. Extensive investigations are performed to understand the observations of partial volume-fraction diamagnetic screening, ruling out extrinsic sources such as strain mechanisms, surface states or foreign phases as the cause of this superconducting phase that appears to be stable in both collapsed and uncollapsed structures.